1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of devices for improving the tone of musical instruments, and more particularly to a device for prematurely aging and therefore conditioning stringed instruments such as an acoustic guitar to improve the quality of the sound produced by such instrument.
2. Preliminary Discussion and Discussion of Prior Art
It is generally accepted that the more a stringed instrument having a wooden sounding box such as an acoustic guitar or violin is played, the more consistent tones and the richer and better overall sound quality is produced, as compared to newer instruments. The reasons for such improved sound quality with use and age have been the subject of much debate over the years. It is generally believed, however, that over time the vibrations caused by the strings effect the structure and characteristics of the wood, perhaps by modifying the cell structure of the wood and making it more uniform. Others believe that the finish applied to the wood is the most important factor. As a result, the prior art includes numerous devices, compositions, and processes designed to prematurely age the wood of stringed instruments or otherwise treat such instruments in an effort to improve or produce a richer sound quality by the instrument. The following prior art references are exemplary of these efforts.
U.S. Pat. No. 579,605 issued to B. N. Pierce on Mar. 30, 1897 entitled “Apparatus for Perfecting Tones of Musical Instruments” discloses a mechanical device for simulating heavy continuous play of a musical instrument such as a violin. Several instruments are secured side-by-side on a framework, and a plurality of belts are aligned on pulleys and secured to a rocking drum or cylinder so they are continually moved across the strings of the instrument in a reciprocating motion, thereby vibrating the strings and accelerating the aging process of the instrument. The Pierce device differs from the present invention in several ways, as the Pierce device is not portable, is designed to treat several instruments at once rather enabling a single instrument to be continually strummed or played at home by either a professional or recreational musician, and utilizes a different arrangement for vibrating the instrument strings that cannot be adapted for use in the present invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 637,273 issued to M. G. Miller on Nov. 21, 1899 entitled “Guitar Support and Player” discloses a device for playing a guitar using foot pedals. The Miller device includes a fairly complicated mechanism for playing chords and to simulate actual playing, however, and is not designed to continuously strum the strings to condition or prematurely age the instrument as in the present invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 856,533 issued to L. Lawrence on Jun. 11, 1907 entitled “Composition of Matter for Improving the Tone of a Violin” discloses a chemical composition comprised of a mixture of one gallon of alcohol, one pound of gum of guaiac, the peel of three oranges, and two ounces of purified ether. Such composition is applied on the inside back panel of an instrument for 15-20 minutes, which it is claimed prematurely ages the instrument and improves its tone. While numerous compositions which it is claimed when applied to the wood of an instrument improve its tone are available in the prior art, several additional examples of which are mentioned herein, none of such compositions is similar to the strummer device of the present invention and are merely exemplary of alternative methods for improving the tone quality of an instrument.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,197,116 issued to R. M. Floyd on Sep. 5, 1916 entitled “Method of and Means for Increasing the Resonance of Sound Modifying Wooden Bodies” discloses an apparatus for accelerating aging of stringed instruments by applying a vibration to the instrument without wearing out the strings as would result from continual strumming of the strings. A chamber having several compartments each having an instrument support is provided, which chamber is also filled with a gaseous fluid and kept at a certain temperature. A rubber-tipped applicator connected to a motor drive shaft is then placed in direct contact with each instrument, which applicator when vibrated also vibrates the instrument.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,352,442 issued S. Floresco on Sep. 14, 1920 entitled “Means and Method of Treating Stringed Instruments to Improve Quality of Tone” discloses an instrument treating system and method wherein during building of the instrument a localized pressure greater than the pressure exerted by the regular sized strings is applied to the belly of the instrument in the area where the bridge is to be connected, by securing the instrument to a support and stringing it with large metal strings at such higher pressure. Floresco claims that the localized pressure of the strings on the belly of the instrument through the bridge, caused by playing the instrument over time, is the reason the tone of such string wooden instrument improves over time. The Floresco system is not designed to prematurely age finished guitars as in the present invention, however.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,467,576 issued to M. H. Flydal on Sep. 11, 1923 entitled “Machine for the Purpose of Breaking In or Seasoning Violins” discloses a device comprised of a stationary frame structure for holding several violins, and a movable frame connected to a drive mechanism for holding the bows for such instruments. When the drive mechanism is activated, the movable frame oscillates or vibrates, causing the bow to be continually moved across the strings. While Flydal thus teaches a device for prematurely aging several stringed instruments simultaneously essentially by continually playing the instruments, such device is not designed for home or individual use by recreational musicians, and does not operate in the same manner as the present invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,622,484 issued to P. Bamberger on Mar. 29, 1927 entitled “Process for Improving the Tone of Stringed Instruments” discloses another composition for treating the wood of a stringed instrument to improve its tone, which composition is applied prior to shellacking or is mixed with the shellac during building of the instrument, and is comprised primarily of the juices of vegetables, such as onion juice, benzene or kerosene, and zinc chloride.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,691,506 issued to J. B. Wolfe on Nov. 13, 1928 entitled “Stringed Instrument Player” discloses another mechanical device for enabling a musician to play a stringed instrument using his or her feet via several foot pedals. Similar to the Miller patent discussed above, although Wolfe teaches a mechanical device for use in playing a stringed instrument, such device is designed to pluck individual strings rather than to strum all of the strings and thus is unlike the present invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,836,089 issued to E. O. Schweitzer on Dec. 15, 1931 entitled “Method of Treating Acoustical Members and the Article Produced Thereby” discloses a process whereby the wood of a violin or other instrument such as a guitar is placed in a cabinet and subjected to ultra violet light or other “chemically active rays”. Schweitzer indicates that the rays decompose the gums and resins in the wood and therefore ages the wood, so that a better tone is produced by the instrument.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,547,919 issued to A. Dalmas on Apr. 10, 1951, entitled “Process for Improving the Tone Quality and Resonance of String Instruments” discloses a stringed instrument forming process wherein first the wood is softened by boiling, and then the softened wood pieces are placed between curved surfaces having the desired shape, and subjected to a uniform pressure of about 25 pounds per square inch for several weeks or months, at a low heat. Dalmas claims that boiling removes water soluble substances from the wood and gives the wood cells a more uniform cell size and density, which improves tone quality. Such method is unlike the strummer device of the present invention, however.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,911,872 issued to W. Carl on Nov. 10, 1959 entitled “Violin Breaking-In Apparatus” discloses a motorized device for automatically breaking in and prematurely aging a violin, wherein two violins are clamped to the device, the bows are positioned over the strings, and a motor is energized which causes a gear shaft to rotate and move the bows back and forth in an arcuate path across the selected strings. The Carl device although similar in purpose to the present invention is structurally complicated and comprised of a large number of parts, while the present inventors strummer device has a much simpler construction and is significantly easier to set up and operate.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,822,690 issued to E. A. Wahl on Apr. 18, 1989 entitled “Violin Finish and Finishing Method” discloses another composition for improving the tone of a violin comprised of a first layer of pigment, a second layer of an alcohol based finish including a dye, and a third layer of a spirit based finish also including a dye.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,031,501 issued to W. J. Ashworth on Jul. 16, 1991 entitled “Method for Attaching an Audio Transducer to a String Musical Instrument” discloses a method for electrically producing a sound from a stringed instrument whereby an audio transducer is attached to the strings. The vibrations produced by the audio transducer can be used both to accelerate the aging process, or the sound emitted by the transducer can be superimposed over the sounds emitted by playing the instrument manually. Such arrangement although capable of being used to continually vibrate the instruments strings otherwise is unlike the present invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,212,330 issued to M. P. Cooper on May 18, 1993 entitled “Mechanical Guitar Strummer” discloses a device for enabling handicapped individuals to play a guitar using two foot pedals operably connected to a device mounted over top of the strings. One pedal is used to move a pick across the strings, and the other pedal is used to engage and disengage the pick from contacting the strings. Such device is structurally unlike the present invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,537,908 issued to S. W. Rabe on Jul. 23, 1996 entitled “Acoustic Response of Components of Musical Instrument” discloses essentially a vibration machine, wherein a stringed instrument is strapped to the flat upper surface of the machine and then vibrated at different frequencies to artificially age the wood. Rabe thus vibrates the entire instrument in a vibration unit rather than producing vibrations by continually strumming the strings using a conventional guitar pick as in the present invention.
U. S. Pat. No. 5,600,081 issued to L. G. Simjian on Feb. 4, 1997 entitled “Method of Improving the Sonority of a Musical Instrument” discloses a wood treating method wherein the wood of a musical instrument is subjected to sonic energy in a frequency range between 5 kHz and 100 kHz. Such treatment is applied during building of the instrument, or at least before the surface is treated with a lacquer, and overall is unlike the present inventor's strummer device.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,227,068 issued to C. L. Van Doren on Jun. 5, 2007 entitled “String-Mounted Conditioner for Stringed Musical Instruments” discloses a vibration emitting device that is attached to one or more of the strings of a musical instrument, for transmitting to the strings and then the body of the instrument. In a preferred embodiment, the vibration means is a motor with an asymmetric cam. The Van Doren device does not strum the strings of an instrument to cause vibrations as in the present invention.
In addition, other methods for conditioning the wood of a stringed instrument such as by placing the instrument near a loudspeaker, have generally not been as effective or efficient as using the strings to cause such vibrations, or have a greater potential to reduce the structural integrity of the instrument.
Although the above instrument conditioning devices and processes may be suitable for their particular purposes, they either must be administered during the manufacturing process or are both complicated and expensive, and in general do not offer the advantages of the present inventors device, which is designed to enable musicians to simply and easily accelerate the aging process of a string instrument such as an acoustic guitar at home or on the road at any convenient time. Another drawback of known wood instrument aging devices is that today manufacturers of instruments place a greater emphasis on production speed and efficiency, and particularly for mass produced instruments such manufacturers are reluctant to subject each instrument to a comprehensive conditioning regimen prior to sale. There is therefore, despite these existing devices and methods, a need for a device that will enable both professional and recreational musicians to condition or accelerate the breaking in or aging process of their personal wood instruments such as an acoustic guitar at home or on their own so that the instrument produces a richer, more uniform sound when played. In addition, it is desirable particularly with respect to acoustic guitars that the guitar be aged or vibrated in a manner that closely simulates actual playing of the instrument, wherein the strings of the instrument are continually contacted by a guitar pick, also known as a plectrum, to transmit the vibrations to the sounding board of the instrument.